Category: Scouting in General

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Leaders as teachers

Even though neither the official mission statement nor the aims of the Boy Scouts of America makes mention of it, leadership is one of the hallmarks of the Scouting program.  In fact, while leadership development is one of the methods used to accomplish the aims of Scouting, the end result is that in the process of developing character, citizenship and fitness, we happen to produce great leaders.

This leadership development happens at all levels. Yes, there are adult leaders who run the Cub Scout program and serve in Boy Scouts, but it is the development of leaders at the youth level that, to paraphrase the old GE commercial, is our most important product. Continue reading “Leaders as teachers”

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What can Scouters learn from skaters?

Photo by Rob Woelkers - PluskateboardingSkateboarders and Scouts may seem at first like completely different groups of kids. Scouts are seen as courteous, obedient, cheerful, and clean, while skaters have been typecast as disrespectful, rebellious loners who wear dirty, ripped clothing and hang out in shady areas.

Take a closer look at skateboarding, though, and you’ll see respectful young people who help one another, take care of their surroundings and are engaging in healthful outdoor activities. They learn and practice skills, then try, fail, try, fail, try and succeed.  Sounds a lot more like Scouting now, doesn’t it? Continue reading “What can Scouters learn from skaters?”

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A Scouting Stylebook

You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to. You say Venture, I say Venturing. Which is correct?

Many times we find ourselves writing about Scouting, either for our own units or for outside purposes. Whether writing a memo to your unit’s families, sending an e-mail to a community organization, or composing an article for the local newspaper, getting your words right is of high importance. It’s especially important at this time of year when many units are recruiting new members. Continue reading “A Scouting Stylebook”

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Engagement

42115099dmvcjyy_200Many observations from management training can be adapted in several ways so we can use them within Scouting. Perhaps this is why Wood Badge is so successful on both fronts: it’s an excellent training program for Scouters but it also helps us in our work and home lives.

Recently, Dan Rockwell wrote in his blog Leadership Freak about a new book by Bob Hancox and Russell Hunter, Coaching for Engagement, and pointed out ways that managers can become coaches and move from managing the process to managing the people Continue reading “Engagement”

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The captain of the ship

Making my way through fellow Scouters’ blogs, I’ve recently come across some interesting observations about Committee Chairs and their role in a unit.

In some units (Troops and Packs), the Committee Chair is a figurehead position — a name filled in on the roster so that the charter will go through. Leader meetings are conducted by the Scoutmaster or Cubmaster. In other units, the Committee Chair exists only to call the monthly committee meetings and not much else.

But in reality, the Committee Chair’s job is, in many ways, the most important one in a unit. Continue reading “The captain of the ship”